LOVE
by Superhero11
Summary: A four-part story that takes little moments from the relationship of Molly and Sherlock as it changes over the years. Inspired by the song LOVE, each chapter is inspired each of the letters. Sherlolly! )
1. L

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you see in this work of fiction. They belong to the BBC and ACD. But really, I can't believe that anyone would think I was claiming them… _

**L**

"I am going to get in so much trouble for this." Molly thought. She was pacing back and forth in the upper levels of St. Barts. Normally, Molly was not one who paced. To be frank, she didn't have the time to pace. Her job as a pathologist kept her very busy. And when she did have a blessed moment of freedom, she was likely to spend it sitting down in her office with a cup of tea. NOT on her feet.

But, today she was filled with a bunch of nervous energy. _I wonder why?_ She thought sarcastically.

She glanced down at her watch. It was approaching the time that Sherlock had given her before her part of the plan needed to be put into action. She walked away from the men who had the case that contained the replica of Sherlock's face and irises.

Molly walked down the corridor and made her way to the white room that faced the front of the building. Once in the room, she walked over to the window and checked the street down below. She saw the man poised on the bicycle and the others standing around. Molly knew that directly above her head by several floors, Sherlock would be standing on the ledge.

Even though she knew the plan, she couldn't help but feel a little skeptical. There were too many things that were relying on chance. Sherlock had planned it, which would mean that there were details that no one else on the planet would have accounted for. But he was not infallible. Even if one detail were off by a couple of seconds, the whole thing would fall apart.

So, it was up to her to keep her fingers crossed and pray that everything worked out.

Molly stands there in her silent litany as she waits for the inevitable to happen. It was easy to look at all of this in a critical manner and let herself regret the part that she has played in the whole debacle.

But Molly knows that if she was asked again, she would say yes.

Not because of her love for Sherlock.

Not because she wants to help others.

Not because she would like to bring about the end to Moriarty.

And while she is not so silly as to think that these reasons are not also a factor in her acceptance [Every single one of them would be enough to motivate her]. It is because of the look on Sherlock's face when he came as asked her for help.

That look said everything. All at once it was the acknowledgement of her friendship. It was Sherlock giving her credit for the scientific awards that he had previously scoffed at. It was Sherlock, honestly looking at Molly and not finding her lacking in some way.

Molly knew, in that moment, whatever sort of retribution she would face when her involvement came to light, it would be worth it. She was helping someone who had really needed her.

The way he had looked at her was different from all of the other times.

It would have made her giggle in any other circumstances -Hell, it would probably make her hug herself when she went home this evening—but it was different because she knew.

This look wasn't just some bribe to get her to help him. He'd done that enough times in the past that she knew that smug smirk. And as Molly stood in front of the window looking out, she knew that there was no reason for her to ever have to accept that fake gesture again.

She knew that Sherlock Holmes was her friend. And that he might even respect her.

**Author's Note: There are going to be 3 more tiny chapters to go along with this one. The POV will be between Molly and Sherlock. I know that the next one will be Sherlock. The inspiration came from the song at the beginning of the Parent Trap movie from 1998. I heard it and knew that there were wonderful Sherlolly moments that needed to be heard. Please leave a review letting me know what you liked.**

**Best Wishes, Ally XOX**


	2. O

_Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of these wonderful and beautiful. However, I do claim that they are perfect for writing fun and wonderful stories. _

**O**

Contrary to what most believed, Sherlock Holmes did notice women.

However, it should also be noted, that he did not notice them in the same way that other men and women would notice each other.

Sherlock simply categorized them into files based on their appearance and the markers of their profession, hobbies, and secrets. He would keep the information for a period of time because it had become most apparent to him that you could never be too certain what was going to be important and not. Most of the time, the information was irrelevant so he simply forgot about it. The space in his mind palace was too precious to be holding nonsense.

The same thing happened when he met Irene Adler. There would be some who would speculate that she had managed to bewitch the solitary detective, and Sherlock believe that himself for a while. She was a mystery that refused to be categorized neatly. There were too many unknown variables and too many secrets. She challenged him in a way that no one else had ever done before.

And so, since there was no way else to think of her, she became 'the Woman'. All the information about her person was tucked away into a file in one of the corners of his mind palace.

So, when Sherlock was running away from the men who were chasing him in Italy, he was aware there was the 21% chance that he was going to die. He had heard the old adage that states 'you see your life flash before your eyes' but had dismissed it as foolish.

Yet, the details of his previous life were suddenly springing to his mind. He expected memories of cases with John, tea with Mrs. Hudson, even playing as a child. But that was not what he got. All he could think of was one person.

Molly Hooper

Somehow it turned out that she was the one he remembered.

The sheer number of details that came to his mind at such great speed had momentarily shocked him and almost caused him to take a wrong turn in his efforts to evade the henchmen chasing him. It seemed almost as though his mind had remembered things about Molly that went unaware by his conscious thoughts.

He remembered how she would look when she was staring intently into a microscope or at a cadaver. He saw her fixing her name badge so that the access key was easier to use. He knew how she smelled [apricot because of her shampoo]. How loud she would laugh when she was in her flat by herself. How she would smile to herself as if remembering a funny story only she remembered.

When Sherlock finally had a moment to stop after he had successfully managed to lose the idiots following him, he considered Molly. She was different from all the others. While even "the Woman' was detached and segmented in his thoughts, Molly was a whole entity.

The puzzle to explain this phenomenon occupied Sherlock's thoughts until he made it back to the room he was using for the past month.

It appeared to Sherlock that Molly was the exception to every other woman (okay, person) he had ever met.

Molly was the only one that he could really see. As a whole person, a friend, a scientist, and a woman.

**Author's Note: There were many ways I thought about taking this chapter, but I think I am the happiest with this. The next chapter will be from Molly's POV. Please leave a review letting me know what you liked (or didn't).**

**Best Wishes, Ally XOX**


	3. V

_Disclaimer: I regretfully inform you, dear readers, that I still do not own the characters you will see depicted in this work of fiction. I didn't when I wrote the first chapter, and I still don't. We all live with disappointments._

**V**

After the wedding of John and Mary Watson, Molly had assumed that Sherlock would mope around his house and avoid others.

What she was pleasantly surprised to notice was that Sherlock had decided to act his age and continue walking amongst others in as normal a fashion as he was capable of doing. So, in typical Sherlock fashion, he was examining some different types of algae for a new post on his website 'The Science of Deduction'. She doubted the matter really needed delving into, but it was something to keep him occupied. Molly wasn't one to look the proverbial gift horse in the mouth.

So, since she was just sitting on one of the stools in the lab, she didn't mind if he wanted to be in the space with her. Sherlock wasn't really bothering her and it was nice to have another presence in the room as she recopied her notes in neater writing onto the reports.

Molly had actually missed Sherlock's presence around her. You could say that she had gotten used to his mannerisms that would cut through the silence. The ruffle of his jacket and the sudden movements had been annoying but she had adjusted to them.

So, the both of them sat and continued working, a system that had been honed to a fine point and was easy to fall back into.

When Molly got to the end of her page, she looked up and found Sherlock sitting back from the microscope with his hands steepled in front of his mouth. Molly had come to learn that it was his 'thinking position'. It had been a favorite of her to watch him out of the corner of her eye when he was sitting like this. She was not sure if he knew she did this, and she realized that she didn't care if he did. Molly had always found his intelligence refreshing [okay, sometimes it made him act like a prick] but it was what drew her to him initially.

After closing her notes, she got up from the table and walked over to the door of the lab. She wanted to get herself some coffee because the tedious work was taking a toll on her focus. Rather than ask Sherlock if he wanted anything, Molly just decided to bring him a cup. _Black, two sugars_ not that she would be likely to forget.

When she got back to the lab, she set her own cup down next to the closed file she needed to work on next.

Walking over to where Sherlock was sitting, she made certain to move quietly so she wouldn't interrupt his train of thought. She set his cup down and was about to turn away when a hand on hers stopped her movements.

Surprised, she looked down and saw that his hand was on top of hers. Sherlock had never been one to initiate any sort of physical contact. He usually held himself aloof from those around him. Granted, that action didn't have the same air of condescension after she had let him sleep on her sofa for a week at a time. Nonetheless, Molly was still shocked.

"Thank you, Molly." Sherlock said simply, opening his eyes to look up at her. He was leaning in slightly, which made him even closer than he had been before.

"You're welcome" Molly replied as she went to move her hand. It surprised her that he had not moved his yet, but she just assumed that he hadn't noticed that. Some tiny details did escape his notice.

When he felt her hand move, he did give her hand a gentle squeeze before he moved his back to the knobs on the microscope. Molly turned away and walked back to where she had been sitting earlier. She could feel his eyes on the back of her neck as she sat down and opened the file.

But, she found herself unable to start working. It was sometimes odd how little credit she gave him in some aspects. John Watson had really made an impact on Sherlock. He had said _thank you_ and really seemed to mean it!

It was just very extraordinary that he had said it at all. And it was very nice, Molly thought as took a sip of her own coffee, that he had said it to her.

**Author's Note: I really liked this one a lot, it might be my favorite of the three so far. The next chapter will be the last one, and it will be from Sherlock's POV. Please leave a review telling me what you liked!**

**Best Wishes, Ally XOX**


	4. E

**Author's Note: This chapter takes place several years into the future from where the last ones took place. Just so you all don't get confused! =) A special thank you to Icecat62 and kaz1370 for their lovely reviews! **

_Disclaimer: For the final time, I don't own any of the characters in this work of fiction. It's a trifle annoying to keep writing this, but I wouldn't want anyone to think I was delusional. _

**E**

Sherlock had never thought that Molly looked more beautiful than how she looked on their wedding day. Most of the time, Sherlock wouldn't have been caught having such sentimental thoughts. But, ever since he had started dating Molly Hooper and subsequently asking her to marry him, he had been feeling more sentimental.

It might have been a result of the kissing. Dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin are not something to be taken lightly when swimming around amongst your various neurons.

But, when Molly finished saying her vows and the minister pronounced them husband and wife, a feeling swept through him that he had never felt before.

It filled him with warmth, pride, and contentment.

He had since learned that most of those feelings just occurred naturally when he was around Molly. She had such a calming effect on his otherwise high functioning behavior. John had been able to make some process in that area in the past, but Molly was a hundred times more effective and efficient.

He felt _more_ of everything with Molly.

So, when he felt her hand wrap around his own as they stood outside greeting the guests that had come to wish them well, he had further evidence that he had made the correct decision in giving up the battle of trying not to love her. Because, he found that it was much more poisonous to his mental health to fight his sentiment than to indulge it.

He was sure that there was no mistaking that Molly was even more precious to him than any other around him. And that was just as it should be.

**Author's Note: I had meant to make this longer, but it felt right to end it where I did. I hope that you enjoyed this little story. In case some of you were wondering, the line surrounding the letter from the title inspired each chapter. They are as follows:**

**L- is for the way you look at me**

**O- is for the only one I see**

**V- is very, very extraordinary**

**E- is even more than anyone that you adore**

**Please leave me a review letting me know what you liked!**

**Best Wishes, Ally XOX**


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